The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-28
A CHILD OF. FORTUNE
wnowAs HERE AFHw DAYS SINCE
Believed to be the Same Man Arrestsd in
Pittsburgh Saturday, Charged with Forg.
Ing Gold Kipg Macks,'s Name-A "a,
Strange Character who was Here.

A well.dresued young man, giving tho
nsme Of John W. Armytage, Of San Fran.
cisco, was arrested at Pittsburgh Saturday
night, for attempting TO pass bogus check
Tor $500. Armytaso arrived in that city
several days ego With letters from John
W. Mickey, the California millionaire,
which he prcacnted to Black & Baird, real
estate dealers. He claimed TO DO All agent
ot Muckey's, and intlmsted TINT ho had
been commissioned to purchGee aaite for
cablo etation. Saturday afternoon he
called sgstn, and asked thom to cssh n
check for $500, as be was in need Of funds.
Tho check was algned by Mackoy, and
was drawn on tho Bank OF California.
Black q Baird toleHraphsd to Mscsos, mid
en- rnswer waa received stating that Army.
tage was unknown. He was arrested st
the Hotel Anderson, and ia now in iail.
1t is supposed that the letters in h;s pcr.
session are forgeliea. INN =.
Tho above paragraph Is tho substance
OF An Associated Proas dispatch eent out
from PittsburRh Saturday evening. Ar.
mytsSe Is described Ga man twenty-five
or twenty.eight yoara old, about ave feet
ten inches in height, little STOPPED.
wearing, glasses, very quietly and gen.
teelly dressed and In his every appear.
snce indicating himself to be q poriec.
gentleman and a cool, imperturbaple man
OF the world. 4 -" =, -
man cnaworing to this same ncmo
and to this description was in this city not
long since and opent several days a. the
McLure Houao. He left there one week
ago and it is presumed went to Pittsburgh
to work his scheme, II scheme It ia that be
is working. While here Armytage was
eick, and from what little can be learned
about the man the cause was opium eat
ing; his phyHician would not nav whether
this was or was not the case, Tho STRANGER
was found by the few who gained lila mar.
tlal confluence to be very accomplished
cosmopolitan. He Ind q knowledge OF
books, ancient and modern, ar. Of
aIl kinde, men OF note OF oil
classes important happenings, lapgua-
ge5 and countries, in fact OF almost
leVerythihg; nor was 1t mere superficial
knowIsdgs-it was thorough and praoti-
cal, Thoae who got to know him fairlv
we'll gay that he did not force on one the
TACT that he was posted-l was only when
drawn into a conversation that one he.
came impressed with realization that
he wss listening 10 man who spoke know
in2ly. he had but little to asy, but
that little contained great deal. He had
oeen an extensive traveller and was able
to talk entertainingly OF half dozen coun-
tries, their customs, etc. His great pse-
sion Tss for books; they were, hs said,
his only dissipation. He had in his room
choice ctock Of fine cigarettes, TOBACCO
ard cigars, most Of which were Of foreign
brands, and of q quality calculated TO
make smoker forget all troubles az he
smoked. s517 49, : =
Juet what the mans business was could
not be learned definitely, but it ia ireuer.
orally understood by those who vera
thrown with him, that he was e pro'ec-
slonal gambler and one who lived by his
Wits. 1t waa gambling, tits believed, that
took him to England, France, Spain, Italy
and other places. It is whispered
by those who claim to know.
that ho touched this town up
for aoout $500 in the timo he was here, all
OF which was won over the card tsbls:
and in winning 1t ho pretended to be-
drunk, whsn the fact is the man did not
touch q drop. Among othe- accoraplieh-
ments, no YVES good actor. I! IVES cseo
OF neecsr laeciuR the heecers. Ho 10 said
20 not only be an accomplished gambler,
out thorough horesman and lucky iu
tue poole.
In other wordn, the man who has bsen
mere WAC tho ideal child Of fortune, such
asis often read about, but seldom en-
countered. The man arrested in Pitts
nurgh, the one at tho Mcclure houaa, an d
the ono desc.ibed,are believed to be one
and the came. ~ - = - 01o